Definition: In terms of RC engine size, displacement is the volume of space a piston travels through during a single stroke. Displacement is measured in cubic centimeters (cc) or cubic inches (ci).
Common RC engine displacements range from about .12 to .46 and larger. These numbers that begin with a decimal point are the displacement in cubic inches. Sometimes the abbreviation ci is appended to the measurement. But just remember that a .18 engine is actually .18ci or .18 cubic inches of displacement. It might also be described as a 3.0cc engine.
Displacement is one factor, along with RPM and horsepower that determines performance of the RC vehicle.
To learn more about displacement, read How Engine Size is Measured which lists typical RC engine displacements and discusses how to determine engine size and compare two engines when one is expressed in cc and the other in ci measurements.
Also Known As: engine size